


felt the lightning (waited on the thunder)

by likelightning



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-18
Updated: 2014-02-18
Packaged: 2018-01-12 21:34:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1201465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likelightning/pseuds/likelightning
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She was halfway to the diner when the door of the dark blue truck closest to her swung open, and a long-legged, baseball cap wearing, plaid shirted, brown-booted country girl stepped out. Kelley stopped in her tracks. The girl lifted the brim of her ball cap and two bright blue eyes gave Kelley a once over.</p>
            </blockquote>





	felt the lightning (waited on the thunder)

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by the prompt: _sent to live with cousins au_. lollllllll. hope and kelley are teenagers on a farm. forgive me.

_she's such a charmer, oh no_  
 _she's always looking at me_  
 _oh no_

 -

Kelley let out another long, drawn out sigh from her itchy bus seat. Another set of wheat fields flew past the window. And then another set. And lo and behold- cows! Then more wheat.

Kelley sighed again. The woman across the aisle from her sent her a dirty look, but Kelley only slunk down further into her seat. Her toes slid into her beat up book bag. In her ears, music beat softly. Her legs were beginning to ache from lack of movement but she was not about to venture into the special hell that was the bus' bathroom.

Her eyes were just drooping closed out of sheer boredom when she felt the bus take a jolting turn and start to brake. Through the window, a rusted out gas station and a log cabin diner stood alone off the highway.

"Jamestown..." The bus driver announced in his slow drawl. The few people scattered throughout the Greyhound didn't appear to notice.

' _You've got to be kidding_ ’, Kelley thought.

With a final drawn out sigh, she hefted her backpack up and edged out of her seat. She only briefly wondered if she could pretend she hadn't heard and just ride this bus back to Atlanta, summer punishment be damned. But the bus creaked to a stop and the driver threw the doors open and the decision was made.

Kelley jumped down onto flat-packed dust, a cloud of it rising up around her jeans. She tugged on the strap of her back pack, hiking it higher up her shoulder, and squinted through the sun at the deserted gas station. Two pickup trucks were parked in front of the diner and an 18 wheeler sat motionless at the edge of the parking lot.

Kelley had never felt more alone. Tightening her grip on her backpack, she started walking toward the diner, figuring some food was in order since apparently no one had bothered to pick her up and she was gonna be stuck in bumfuck nowhere without a ride.

She was halfway to the diner when the door of the dark blue truck closest to her swung open, and a long-legged, baseball cap wearing, plaid shirted, brown-booted country girl stepped out. Kelley stopped in her tracks.

The girl lifted the brim of her ball cap and two bright blue eyes gave Kelley a once over, trailing from her sloppy ponytail to her bright blue soccer shorts and down to her worn out flip flops. The girl’s mouth was a straight line and her expression gave nothing away, but Kelley thought she saw her eyes twinkle.

"Hey." Blue eyes said, her voice just as sharp and clear as Kelley had been expecting. "You must be Kelley."

Kelley nodded once, seemingly unable to form words, and the girl stepped forward to hold out her hand in introduction. Her arms were lean and tanned and Kelley almost missed her next words.

"I'm Hope."

-

Hope's truck (and it must have been her truck, with the Atlanta Braves _A_ on the back window that matched the cap on her head, the empty coffee cups in the bed, and the way the inside smelled like vanilla) bounced and rattled over the rutted dirt road. Kelley held her backpack on her lap and looked out at the passing fields- more fields, good god it felt like she’d walked onto an episode of Farm Kings.

For her part, Hope stared silently out the windshield while the radio played almost inaudibly from the door speakers. Up close, she was younger than Kelley had thought. Her fingernails were painted a pretty red and she had bands and string bracelets wrapped around her wrists. She kept her dark blue Atlanta Braves cap down over her eyes like a shield and she wasn't exactly talkative.

When they finally turned down a long dirt driveway marked "Solo", Kelley swallowed. The Solos had been family friends of her parents for a long time- there was a college story or maybe a high school story in there- but visits between the two families had been few and Kelley had never met any of the kids before, though she was sure her parents had come out to the farm. Marcus Solo was a large, loud man with a kind smile and his wife was always sweet and startlingly enthusiastic. Kelley couldn't imagine Hope being related to either of them.

Hope parked and got out of the truck without a word. Kelley quickly threw open her door and swung her bag up onto her shoulders. Her feet hit gravel and she hurried to follow Hope down the driveway and to the side door.

"Ma, we're back!" Hope yelled, tossing her keys across the room with flawless aim. They rung into a bowl on the counter. She held the door open wide for Kelley and waited for her to come inside before shutting it. There was a patter of footsteps before Mrs. Solo appeared, a smile already spreading across her face.

"Oh, Kelley! Look how beautiful you are!" Before Kelley could react she was wrapped in a warm hug that she awkwardly tried to return.

"Uh- thank you." Kelley pulled back and shifted onto one foot, a half-smile reaching her mouth. Mrs. Solo just looked at her for a moment- studied her, really- and then gestured towards the rest of the house.

"Well, let's get you settled. You can stay in the room next to Hope’s and I'm sure she has some old clothes that would fit you- you'll need something to work in..."

 

Hope turned and disappeared down the hallway. Kelley found herself staring after her.

-

The afternoon passed quickly while Kelley unpacked and helped Mrs. Solo start dinner. She did less cooking than sharing, as the woman was relentless in her questioning. Kelley talked about her junior year of high school and soccer and her dad. The questions finally circled back to her stay at the farm and that’s when Kelley started to hesitate. She wasn’t ready or willing to talk about her ankle injury and the dreams it had dashed.

“My parents just thought I need some space to think things through.” Kelley told her. Mrs. Solo laughed.

“Well, there’s plenty of that here.”

Mr. Solo and Hope's brother appeared at dinner time with dirty hands and matching boots. Marcus was a younger version of his dad, engaging and boisterous, if a little more self-deprecating. Kelley couldn't help but laugh around the two while they set the table, providing a running commentary the whole time.

They finally sat down to dinner and Hope slipped in at the last second, taking a spot next to her brother. She was so different, quiet and reserved where her brother was brash and open, frank and honest where her father was charming. But Kelley sensed a similar sort of fiery backbone in all of them, like they were always up for a fight.

Hope snarked back at her brother when needed but for the most part she ate silently, her eyes taking in everything. Kelley glanced up to find herself the subject of Hope’s gaze more than once and it made her face feel flush. She tried to focus on her mashed potatoes.

When the kitchen had been cleaned and the family was spread out across the living room, Kelley’s eyes began to droop. It had been a long ride in and a strange night of navigating a vague sense of feeling uncomfortable, like she was transplant, and mainly just- she wanted sleep. After her fifth yawn, Mrs. Solo put a hand on Hope’s wrist.

"Kelley, Hope will show you where everything is in the bathroom if you want to head to bed. I know you've had a long day." Kelley nodded gratefully. She felt a bit like she was sleepwalking as she exchanged good night with the boys and followed Hope down the hall to the bathroom. The other girl had changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt that was riding up her hips when she walked and holy hell Kelley was in trouble.

Hope led her into the guest bedroom and pushed the bathroom door open. "Towels. Toothpaste. Soap. Outlet." She pointed at each object in turn and then rotated to look at Kelley. Her eyes were really too blue to be real. With one hand, she gestured toward the door opposite the one that led to Kelley's room. "That's my room." She said, and paused without dropping her gaze from Kelley. "If you- I mean if you need anything… that's where I'll be.”

Her hesitation brought a smile to Kelley's face. Hope's hair was bundled into a messy bun on her head and she seemed almost approachable with her bare feet on the bathroom tile.

"Thanks." And Kelley meant it. Their eyes met and caught and Hope almost smiled- Kelley could see the beginning of it in her eyes. Instead, Hope just nodded, then turned on her heel and disappeared through the door to her room.

 Kelley caught a glimpse of dark blue sheets and a longboard before the door clicked shut and she was left alone in the bathroom.

-

Kelley woke the next morning to darkness and a gentle rapping.

“Kelley.” Hope’s voice was clear but emotionless, and she rapped once more. Kelley yawned and rolled out of her bed, tucking her hands deep into her hoodie’s sleeves. She had slept hard and good and it always took her a minute to blink away the remaining fuzziness. She swung open the door.

“Get dressed, Ma’s got breakfast ready.” Hope said, standing just outside Kelley’s door. She was wearing different plaid than yesterday but the same faded, well-kept baseball cap tucked over her ponytail. “You’re working with me.” Her eyes flickered down to Kelley’s hands, hidden by her sleeves, and her sock feet. When she looked back up to meet Kelley’s gaze, the corners of her mouth turned up, just barely, and then she was gone.

Kelley dressed quickly and pulled her hair back, then tucked her phone into her jeans. She yanked on Hope’s borrowed boots, the heavy, worn brown rising up to her calf. She took an experimental step forward and the boot clunked satisfyingly on the wood floor. Kelley grinned.

After a muted breakfast and half a cup of coffee, during which Kelley spent most of her time staring Hope and her sharp features and trying to get over her surprise that Hope was actually as attractive as Kelley had thought yesterday (or more attractive, really, with sleep softness around her, sipping her coffee slowly), Kelley followed Hope out the side door and into the yard.

About a hundred feet behind the house was a giant, traditional barn with the doors thrown open and a tractor shining at the entrance. To the right was what looked like a training pen for horses and to the left was a chicken coop. Beyond that, fields stretched on for acres and acres.

“I’m just gonna show you around today.” Hope said. Kelley caught Hope glancing in her direction. “We’ll really start working tomorrow. I hope you’re ready to work hard.”

Kelley shrugged.

-

On day one, Kelley dropped the corner of a feed bag on her big toe and spent the next hour hopping around on one foot and making strange hissing noises. Hope tossed the bags from the back of the truck like they were nothing and tried unsuccessfully to hide her smile.

On day two, Kelley got her own horse ("That's actually my horse" Hope said. "I just outgrew him." She looked down at Kelley pointedly). They only went out to the back pasture to check the fences for rips or holes, but Kelley felt like she was in an old western movie. Hope's old boots fit snugly in the stirrups and the sun beat down as they trotted along the edge of the field. Hope glanced out at Kelley from under her worn Braves hat, her eyes glinting in the sun, and just shook her head with a wry smile when Kelley pantomimed swinging a lasso up and over Hope’s head.

On day three, Hope led Kelley back around the barn to a pile of firewood that needed to be split, stacked and stored. Hope rolled up the sleeves of her red plaid and gripped the axe tight with two calloused hands. The sun shone warm on her brown arms and she swung down forcefully, the wood splitting on the first try. Kelley rolled another log over. After the fifth split, Hope pulled off her baseball cap and wiped the back of her forehead. She tossed the cap onto the stool by the barn doors and set back to work. Kelley wondered if she was drooling, then casually wiped her mouth just in case.

On day four, they brushed down the horses. Kelley’s horse was Chipper Jones, and Hope’s Masquerade. Chipper Jones seemed happy to let just about anyone ride him, but Masquerade was a whole different story. She wouldn’t stand still for anyone but Hope and she shied away nervously whenever Kelley got too close. At first, Kelley thought the horse was headstrong and mean; it turned out, though, that she was just scared. She was only comfortable around Hope, but Kelley spent half the day feeding her sugar cubes and brushing her down with Hope by her side, determined to win the horse over (and somehow, by extension, Hope).

On day five, they took the four wheeler out to the edge of the Solo property. Hope went fast across the fields and Kelley clung on for dear life, holding Hope close and trying not to enjoy it too much. She was so much stronger than she looked, like solid muscle and sinew as she steered the ride, but she was also soft and when she relaxed into Kelley’s arms, Kelley thought she might not be able to resist kissing her. It was hot and bright out when they reached the narrow run of river that marked the Lloyd’s land, and Hope stripped her shirt off and jumped in. Kelley’s jaw hit the ground. She thought she saw the edge of a grin when Hope turned away from her to swim across the river, but she was too busy trying not to swallow her own tongue and she couldn’t be sure. In the end, she grabbed Hope’s shirt and hopped back on the four wheeler, just to see Hope chase after her, dripping wet and angry.

Day six was Saturday, and when Hope woke Kelley up the sun was still deep below the horizon. Kelley blinked sleepily up at Hope, who for once had no cap to hide her beautiful eyes and had slipped into Kelley’s room to hover over her bed, both hands stuffed in the pockets of her sweatpants.

"Wake up”, she said. "I want to show you something."

After groggily pulling on jeans and a sweatshirt and running her hands through her wavy, curly mess of hair, Kelley joined Hope in the kitchen. The house was very quiet. Hope was drinking coffee from a thermos and she handed another one to Kelley. Without a word, she opened the back door for Kelley and waited for her to go out first.

By then, Kelley knew better than to ask.

They climbed into Hope’s pickup and Kelley pushed aside a small stack of blankets to make room on the seat. Hope cranked the engine and it rumbled softly through the early morning stillness. She turned the truck about and headed for the main road, and Kelley contented herself with sipping her coffee and stealing glances at Hope’s profile.

 They drove away from the highway and deeper into the hills until the ground rose up around them like mountains and the fog made Hope’s windows damp. They sky was starting to turn gray and Hope’s skin looked dark under it. Out here, the forest started to eat up the carefully plowed fields and the trees grew thick and tall. Hope took a turn into the wooded area and the truck creaked and groaned as it climbed the hills.

Finally, they parked in a small clearing off the road. A dirt path led out from the makeshift parking lot and wound into the woods. The sun was just starting to rise, a bloom of orange on the horizon, when Hope put the car in park and hopped out. She circled the truck and then opened the passenger door.

Kelley had never seen her look so- bright.

“It’s just a short walk.” Hope said, her voice sudden after the extended silence. She gave Kelley her hand to help her down from the truck.

“It’s beautiful out here.” Kelley said reverently. The pink rays were splayed out between the tree limbs and the forest floor shone gold. Hope smiled at her.

“Just wait.”  She said. She grabbed the blankets from the truck and slammed the door shut. Kelley was awed by the quiet wonder of a summer morning and she followed Hope into the trees, their footsteps quiet on the leaves. The path went sharply up and soon Kelley found herself practically hiking a hill. She had to grab a tree branch here and there for balance. Then, the trail evened out and the trees cleared and Kelley found herself looking out after miles and miles of land.

It took her breath away.

Below them, the hills and valleys they had driven through were filled with fog that looked like clouds from up here. And beyond that, the ground flattened into acres of neatly divided fields and pastures that appeared geometrical. Kelley looked up at Hope to find the girl watching her with a quiet smile on her face.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Hope asked, and Kelley knew then that this wasn’t just a landscape, this was a piece of Hope. She put a hand on Hope’s arm without even thinking.

“It’s amazing.” She said, and turned back to the view. The sun was rising over all of it, now red and orange and getting warmer. Hope spread one blanket out on the ground and wrapped another around Kelley’s shoulders.

They sat there while the sun rose up over the sky and the air grew warmer and the fog dissipated into the morning. Kelley’s shoulder brushed up against Hope’s and she left it there and everything was endless with possibilities. Someone had told her once that that was happiness. She believed them.

-

The days turned into weeks and Mrs. Solo taught Kelley how to cook biscuits, Marcus taught her to shoot, and Hope taught her how to do everything else. They spent every day out in the fields, doing odd jobs and either taking the horses or the four wheeler out to the river when it got too hot. Every Saturday, they drove out to the peak to watch the sunrise. Kelley started sharing her blanket. Mr. Solo called them the wonder twins and winked at Kelley whenever he caught her staring. She always blushed.

One night, they brought a blanket out into the hayloft and fell asleep staring up at the sky. Kelley woke up in the early morning, cold, and looked over at Hope. She was fast asleep, her body curled toward Kelley’s, clutching all of the blanket. Kelley smiled fondly and rolled her eyes, then slid closer and back under the blanket, their bodies brushing together. It was a long time before she fell back asleep.

-

“Hey Ma, where’s Hope?” Marcus slid into the kitchen.

“I believe she and Kelley are out with that horse.” Mrs. Solo said, her long-standing distaste for Masquerade coloring her tone. Marcus rolled his eyes.

“Okay, thanks Ma.”

When Marcus found them out past the barn, Kelley was trying, with very poor results, to convince Masquerade to cross the pen and come say hello while Hope laughed and her strategies steadily devolved. By the time he reached them, Kelley was kneeling down and praying to the "horse god". He stood there for a moment, looking kind of stunned and pleased with the two of them. Hope had never had a friend like Kelley.

“Hey Marcus!” Kelley called, finally giving up on the horse. She walked off a ways to meet him. Hope stepped up the fence and Masquerade trotted over to nuzzle into her hand. The look of betrayal on Kelley’s face made Hope break out into a smile and Marcus just rolled his eyes at the two.

“Abby just texted me about this bonfire at the lake tonight, we should all go.” Marcus said, directing his words at Hope. In truth, he had asked in front of Kelley because he knew Hope would be reluctant and Kelley was his ace. Sure enough:

“Oh my god, Hope, can we go?” Kelley was practically bouncing. “My first country bonfire! Will there be mud riding? Can we shotgun a beer?” Hope had to laugh, but she still shot her brother a look over Kelley’s shoulder.

“I guess we could.” She answered a bit grudgingly.

“Awesome.” Kelley said, nudging Hope’s shoulder with her own. “I’m gonna wear my cowboy boots.”

“You’re gonna wear _my_ cowboy boots.” Hope corrected. Without the two of them noticing, Masquerade has walked back over to the fence where they were standing. Kelley rolled her eyes.

“I’m gonna wear _your_ –“ She started to threaten, knocking into Hope again with a little more force. Then, she noticed the horse. “Oh! Masquerade!” Kelley gasped and became very still as the horse took a shy step forward and nuzzled her nose through the slats. Kelley very, very slowly offered her hand to lick. Hope’s smile softened with fondness.

Marcus turned and left the two of them to each other.

-

Kelley didn’t wear Hope’s cowboy boots.

Instead, she threw on sandals and jeans and a loose top and sat out back on a patio chair, watching the stars. Marcus joined her after a bit, his traditional baseball cap tucked over his curls, and they sat quietly. Hope had been bumping around in the bathroom long after Kelley was done and she wondered what she could possibly be doing if they’re just going to a bonfire.

Then she stepped outside.

It was the first time Kelley had ever seen her with her hair styled, and it was long and dark and wavy down her back. She wore white shorts and a tank top with sandals and she looked like everything Kelley had ever wanted right then.

Marcus whistled loudly and started laughing and Kelley blinked.

“Hope!” Marcus laughed. “Who you trying to impress?” Hope just rolled her eyes.

“Let’s go.” She said shortly, shooting a quick glance over at Kelley and swinging her car keys around her finger. They piled into Hope’s truck, Kelley squashed between the two Solo siblings and preferentially leaning into Hope. She edged closer, brushing their arms together, because she knew by experience that by the time they got out of the driveway, Hope would lay her arm along the back of the seat and Kelley would be right in the line of fire.

“We gotta stop and get beer.” Marcus said without looking up from his phone. Hope made a grunt of acknowledgement and turned onto the main road. She settled back in her seat and slid her arm up onto the back of the seat, then immediately stiffened. Her arm was brushing Kelley’s shoulders like a path of fire and every nerve ending in Kelley’s body was urging her lean in closer. She couldn’t though, wasn’t ready, so instead she leant back, letting Hope’s wrist brush against the side of her neck, trying to relax into it without giving herself away.

Outside, the hot Georgia night blurred by in the glare of Hope’s brights and the crickets buzzed through the open windows. The moon was high and bright and Hope smelled like vanilla.

Kelley let the hope swell up in her chest and sing out in her bones.

-

The bonfire was a massive, haphazard stack of crate bottoms tossed in a pit, doused with lighter fluid and set ablaze and it was awesome. Hope backed her truck up to it and they let the gate down and climbed into the bed. Marcus ripped open the beer case and Hope popped hers open and handed it off to Kelley. It seemed like half the county had shown up and it wasn’t long before people were migrating over to Marcus’ undeniable charm and Hope’s mysterious allure. Well, maybe that was just Kelley. She found herself leaning into Hope’s side as she started her second beer, Hope’s skin warm and soft against hers. Hope looked down at her with what Kelley liked to imagine was a look reserved solely for her, soft and amused and fond. Kelley smiled back, the alcohol making her a little brave, and took another sip of her beer.

Somewhere between her second and third beer, Hope was dragged off to something called a “funnel” and Kelley was left talking to the prettiest girl named Alex, who pulled a soccer ball out of somebody’s truck and somehow managed to convince her to drunk juggle it. Kelley was laughing and spilling her beer and accidentally hit Hope’s truck with the ball at one point but she couldn’t remember being this alive in a long time. She settled back against the truck, still laughing, and Alex thumped next to her.

“So where are you from?” Alex asked, taking a long draw from her own beer.

“Right around Atlanta, like south of here.” Kelley rolled the ball out in front of her with her toe and then drew it back.

“You’re staying with Hope?” Alex asked, and something in her tone made Kelley wary.

“Yeah, our parents know each other.”

“We played soccer together, last year. Before she graduated.” Alex seemed thoughtful. “She’s kind of…”

“A bitch?” Kelley laughed. “I’ve heard that. I don’t think people are always what we make them out to be.”

Alex shrugged. Kelley followed her gaze across the fire to Hope, who was leaning into someone and laughing, her smile a little loose and bright across her face. Kelley smiled, too.

“Anyway, let me introduce you to some people.” Alex grabbed her hand and dragged her back into the fray.

-

The fire was still blazing steadily and someone had found a football to throw across it when Kelley found her way across the dirt and back to Hope’s truck. She’d been declining a fourth beer for fifteen minutes and the buzz of the people and the crickets were rolling over her. She needed a breather.

She opened the passenger door and leaned in far enough to grab her phone, intent on checking her text messages and shit, when she felt a hand on her waist. She whirled and it was- Hope, who was looking at her carefully and a little apologetically.

“Didn’t mean to scare you.” Her hand stayed on Kelley’s waist and her eyes flickered with light from the fire. She leaned to the left just an inch before righting herself, but Kelley caught it.

“Are you drunk, Hope Solo?” Kelley reached out with both hands to steady Hope, laughing a little at the usually untouchable Hope and how wild she looked at the moment.

“Probably a little.” Hope answered truthfully. “I want to show you something.” Her eyes sparkled blue that was irresistible and Kelley was really no expert at resisting Hope.

“Lead the way.” Kelley said, gesturing with one hand. Surprisingly, Hope didn’t head back toward the crowd, put instead took Kelley’s hand and led her to the lake. The closer they got to the water, the more lush and soft the grass got. Kelley held Hope’s hand tighter, the alcohol making everything soft but breathtaking. When they reached the pier, Hope kicked off her sandals and Kelley followed suit.

Out here, the sounds of the bonfire faded away into the trees and the only light was from the moon hanging overhead. They weren’t holding hands anymore but Hope was so close that Kelley could feel the warmth of her skin.  Hope hopped up onto the pier and took a step backwards.

“Let’s play truth or dare.” She said, her eyes meeting Kelley’s.

Kelley decided she liked drunk Hope.

“Okay.” Kelley hopped up on the pier, too. “Truth.”

Hope paused, and tucked her hands into the pockets of her shorts. She looked beautiful in the moonlight. Kelley ached.

“How do you like living with me so far?”Hope’s face was serious. This was an easy one.

“I never want to leave.” Kelley said, taking a step closer. “Truth or dare?”

“Dare.”

“I dare you…to get in the water.” Kelley grinned. Hope laughed out loud.

“Okay.” Hope said, and took another step backwards. She tucked her hands under her shirt and lifted it over her head. “But…” She added, her shirt dropping onto the pier. Her fingers popped the buttons of her shorts. “First…” She hesitated for a moment, then lowered her shorts to the ground too. She stood there for a moment in just her underwear and Kelley’s heart threatened to beat out of her chest.  Hope’s abs were not even fair and her legs and just- Kelley was losing her mind. “Truth or dare?”

Kelley swallowed.

“Dare.”

Hope smirked.

“I dare you to get in with me.” With one last, lingering glance at Kelley, she turned to the end of the pier, deftly undid her bra, dropped it to the ground, and dove in.

Kelley completely forgot how to breathe.

She had five seconds to get her wits around her and, with a look back to the still occupied bonfire, she undid the zipper of her jeans and stumbled out of them. She left her blouse on the grass and, with a deep breath to steady herself, she took off her bra and dove into the lake before the garment had even hit the wood.

When she surfaced, Hope was hovering a few feet away, her gaze dangerous across the rippling water. They just looked at each other for a moment, and then Hope started moving toward her and Kelley pulled herself closer, too.  When they were close enough, their hands brushed in the water, accidentally at first and then on purpose, until Kelley turned her palm over to lace her fingers with Hope. They treaded water just shy of each other, blue eyes on brown. Hope seemed to be waiting, her eyes growing softer and more vulnerable the longer they looked at each other, and finally it hit Kelley. She leaned forward a few inches, until their legs were brushing, an open invitation, and finally Hope leaned in a kissed her.

Hope’s palm came up to her neck and the kiss was like a sigh, soft and slow and warm. Their hands stayed tangled in the water and then Hope’s tongue was brushing along Kelley’s and Kelley felt the moment Hope put her feet on the lake bed. She moved her hands to Kelley’s waist and tugged her closer, steadying her, and their skin met underwater, stomach to stomach, and Kelley was out of breath. She had to break the kiss to steady her hands on Hope’s shoulders and Hope was looking up at her with blown blue eyes, holding her close, her mouth kiss-swollen, and Kelley was out of breath but she couldn’t stop kissing Hope.

“I’ve wanted this for so long.” Hope murmured between them, her hands wandering.

“Me too,” Kelley admitted, her voice breathless. She thought of every time she believed she’d die if she couldn’t kiss Hope and kissed her even harder.

Hope’s palm ran up and over Kelley’s breast and Kelley held her tighter, their kisses getting wild and needy, Kelley’s hands in Hope’s damp hair. Hope was so warm everywhere, especially in the cool water, and she was holding Kelley up like she was nothing, and her hands were a little rough from all the work she did outside and Kelley was getting so turned on she couldn’t function. Hope dropped her mouth to Kelley’s neck and Kelley’s hooked her legs around Hope’s waist, sagging against her as Hope’s mouth nipped her ear and down the sensitive sides of her neck.

“Hope! Kelley!”

They both froze, clinging to each other, Hope’s face in the crook of Kelley’s neck. It was Marcus. If he stayed on the shore, they’d be fine, they’d be invisible, but if he ventured onto the dock- well, Kelley didn’t want to consider that option. First off, he’d see their clothes. Hopefully he hadn’t come close enough for that. They waited with bated breath until they heard his footsteps move off and then, farther away: “Hope Solo!”

Hope, her face still buried in Kelley’s neck, started laughing. The adrenaline from the water, from the kiss, from almost being caught- it rushed over Kelley and she started laughing, too, her legs still wrapped around Hope’s waist.

“We should probably go back.” Hope murmured. A sweet smile still stretched over Kelley’s face. She was in no hurry to leave.

“Okay.” She said, and then Hope was peppering quick, soft kisses against the side of her neck. “We’ll never get back if you don’t stop doing that.” Kelley warned, and pulled back to see Hope’s eyes. She couldn’t help but lean down and kiss her again, quick and light and tender.

Finally, she slid down. Hope’s hands were reluctant to let her go.  She moved backward in the water toward the shore. Hope’s gaze- always penetrating, always clear, always enticing –seemed almost razor sharp now. Knowing. Something had changed.

Kelley felt a blush go up her cheeks, but she didn’t turn away. As the water grew shallow, she stepped backwards onto the shore. Hope’s gaze was like fire all over her exposed skin as the water fell away and she stepped back onto the grass. With a final sharp breath, Kelley turned away, scooped up her clothes and walked into the trees.

-

Kelley woke up to a strange daze in her head and approximately half her clothes on. The now familiar guest room was filled to the brim with sunlight. She blinked and had one thought: shower. Yawning into her fist, she made her way into the bathroom and stepped under the hot spray. She let the memories of last night wash over her, like a montage of mismatched emotions and phrases and feelings. The fire, the truck, the lake, _Hope_. She thought about the look in Hope’s eyes when she had leant in closer to kiss Kelley, and how that look made her want to melt away with emotion.

When she was clean of wood smoke and lake water, she dressed in jeans and her boots and headed down to the barn. The sun was already over the horizon and Masquerade was kicking in her stall. Kelley grabbed the brushes and walked over. It took her fifteen minutes, but she slowly edged closer until the horse was comfortable with her half inside the stall. She ran the brush down her brown mane, thinking.

Kelley realized that somewhere along the way that she’d forgotten to feel homesick, or bored, or lonely. It took her half as long to realize it was because of Hope. Because Hope was quiet and reserved, but also seemed to know exactly when Kelley needed her to be sympathetic and when it was okay to poke fun. She knew when Kelley wanted sugar with her coffee and when she just wanted to down it black and be done with it. She laughed at all of Kelley’s antics and woke her up in the morning with a hand against her arm. Somewhere along the way, Kelley had spilled all of her secrets and- though she still didn’t understand this part- Hope had taken the time to learn them.

Hope kissing her had just been the final piece to a puzzle they had been figuring out for a while.

But if she knew Hope, she would be terrified of the shift. Afraid she’d be misunderstood. Unsure of Kelley’s feelings. Quick to backpedal and slow to change.

So when Hope appeared in the barn around noon, the sun streaming in behind her and Masquerade whinnying her approval, Kelley just waited. She kept brushing Hope’s horse and let Hope trudge over to her. She tried to quell the awful feeling in her stomach when Hope looked at her with guarded eyes and folded her arms across her chest. She was in her usual plaid and jeans but even with her Braves cap shielding her eyes, she looked tired.

“Hey.” Hope said, leaning up against the door in a show of confidence.

“Hey.” Kelley responded neutrally, still brushing Masquerade. Hope was quiet for a moment, watching Kelley work, and then she took a deep breath and stood up straighter.

“I’m sorry I got so drunk last night.” She hesitated and Kelley stopped what she was doing to meet her eyes. She looked scared but also determined. “I know I probably made things weird between us, so I just wanted to apologize and say that I hope we’re okay.” Hope looked miserable, her hands fisted in her shirt, practically hiding beneath her hat. Her hair was pulled through the back. Kelley missed it down, and in her hands. Hope also looked like she was holding something back, like she just wanted to spill it all there in the barn. Kelley thought maybe if she waited long enough, Hope would tell her the truth.

But Hope's eyes were were heartbroken and she looked terribly torn and her voice turned demanding.

“Kelley, say something.”

Kelley didn’t answer, she just put the brush down on the stool, reached up and pushed back the brim of Hope’s cap with one hand, pulled her closer with the other, and kissed her.

It took barely a second for Hope to wrap both arms around Kelley’s waist and pull her flush against her. Hope kissed her the same as last night, long and slow and like she wanted to be doing nothing else ever again. It felt like sunshine all over her skin. After a moment, Kelley pulled back, smiling too hard. She cupped one hand around Hope’s cheek.

“Don’t take it back.” She said. Hope shook her head, smiled down at her, and kissed her again.

Behind them, Masquerade stamped her approval.


End file.
